Cable management device

ABSTRACT

A cable management device for mounting to a telecommunications fixture includes an outer barrel disposed over an inner barrel, one of the outer barrel and the inner barrel defining a plurality of discrete detents positioned in a stacked arrangement axially along an length thereof, and the other of the outer barrel and the inner barrel defining at least one flexible cantilever arm defining a tab configured to lock into a selected one of the detents for allowing adjustment of a length of the cable management device.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/902,770, filed on Jun. 16, 2020, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 16/324,191, filed on Feb. 8, 2019, now U.S.Pat. No. 10,690,874, which is a National Stage Application ofPCT/US2017/045703, filed on Aug. 7, 2017, which claims the benefit ofU.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 62/372,123, filed on Aug. 8, 2016, thedisclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in theirentireties. To the extent appropriate, a claim of priority is made toeach of the above disclosed applications.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to devices for enhancing cablemanagement of a telecommunications system. More particularly, thepresent disclosure relates to a cable management assembly including acable management spool used on a telecommunications panel.

BACKGROUND

Telecommunications systems commonly include cables (e.g., fiber opticcables, or copper twisted pair cables) for interconnecting pieces oftelecommunications equipment. Telecommunications racks typically hold avariety of different pieces of telecommunications equipment. Oftenthousands of cables are used to interconnect the various pieces oftelecommunications equipment mounted on the racks.

Because of the large number of cables associated with telecommunicationsequipment, cable management is crucial. Cable management involvesefficiently routing cables to minimize the space occupied by suchcables. Cable management also involves routing cables in an orderlymanner so as to reduce the likelihood of cable tangling. Ease of cableorganization is also a factor related to effective cable management.

Cable management is also important in preventing damage to the cables.Unnecessary or excessive displacement of fiber optic cables, forexample, is undesirable. As the fiber optic cables are displaced, theyare subject to bending and other forces. Bending of the fibers can causeattenuation and loss of signal strength. As the fiber bends, the fibercan also break, resulting in a loss of transmission through the fiber.

According to one example type of cable management, cable spools mayextend from a surface in columns, rows, or other configurations. One ormore fiber optic cables may be hung over or wrapped around a curvedsurface of one or more of these spools to take up the slack length ofthe fiber optic cable.

In general, cable management improvement has been sought, generally toefficiently and effectively manage cables by providing systemadaptability, and ease of cable organization, especially in suchspool-based systems.

SUMMARY

One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a telecommunicationssystem including a cable management assembly including a panel having aplurality of shaped apertures and a plurality of cable managementdevices in the form of spools for mounting to the panel. Each cablemanagement device includes attachment features corresponding to theshaped apertures that secure the cable management devices to the panelat selected horizontal and vertical locations. According to oneinventive aspect, the cable management devices in the form of spools mayinclude features for adjusting or varying the axial lengths thereof forequipment clearance or space-adaptability.

According to another aspect, the disclosure relates to a cablemanagement device in the form of a cable spool defining an outer barrelthat is disposed over an inner barrel, both having a generally roundconfiguration for providing cable management with bend radiusprotection. One of the outer barrel and the inner barrel includes aplurality of discretely spaced locking detents along the length thereof,and the other of the outer barrel and the inner barrel includes aflexible arm with a tab that can lock within one of the detents.Relative rotation between the outer barrel and the inner barrel allowsthe tab to enter or exit the detent. For example, after a desired lengthfor the spool is determined, relative rotational movement between theouter barrel and the inner barrel allows the tab to lock within a detentthat corresponds to the desired length, thus providing adjustability tothe length of the overall cable management spool.

Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a cable managementassembly comprising a telecommunications panel including a plurality ofshaped apertures arranged in an array of columns and rows and aplurality of cable management devices having attachment structurescorresponding to the shaped apertures for removably mounting the cablemanagement devices to the panel at selected vertical and horizontallocations, wherein each cable management device defines an outer barreldisposed over an inner barrel, one of the outer barrel and the innerbarrel defining a plurality of discrete detents positioned in a stackedarrangement axially along a length thereof, and the other of the outerbarrel and the inner barrel defining at least one flexible cantileverarm defining a tab configured to lock into a selected one of the detentsfor allowing adjustment of a length of the cable management device.

According to another aspect, the present disclosure relates to a cablemanagement device for mounting to a telecommunications fixture, thecable management device comprising an outer barrel disposed over aninner barrel, one of the outer barrel and the inner barrel defining aplurality of discrete detents positioned in a stacked arrangementaxially along a length thereof, and the other of the outer barrel andthe inner barrel defining at least one flexible cantilever arm defininga tab configured to lock into a selected one of the detents for allowingadjustment of a length of the cable management device.

According to yet another aspect, the present disclosure relates to amethod of using a cable management device, the method comprisingadjusting a length of the cable management device by relatively slidingan outer barrel and an inner barrel of the cable management device toselect the length of the cable management device and relatively rotatingthe outer barrel and the inner barrel and locking a tab of a flexiblecantilever arm of one of the outer barrel and the inner barrel into adetent of a plurality of discrete detents positioned axially along alength of the other of the outer barrel and the inner barrel.

A variety of inventive aspects are set forth in part in the descriptionthat follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or maybe learned by practicing various aspects of the disclosure. The aspectsof the disclosure may relate to individual features as well ascombinations of features. It is to be understood that both the foregoinggeneral description and the following detailed description are exemplaryand explanatory only, and are not restrictive of the claimed inventions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a telecommunications system including a cablemanagement assembly formed from a telecommunications panel and at leastone cable management device having features that are examples ofinventive aspects in accordance with the present disclosure removablymounted to the panel, the cable management assembly shown from an outerperspective view;

FIG. 2 illustrates the cable management assembly of FIG. 1 from an innerperspective view;

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of the cable management device ofFIGS. 1-2 from a free end thereof;

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of the cable management device ofFIGS. 1-2 from a mounting end thereof;

FIG. 5 illustrates the mounting of the cable management device of FIGS.1-4 to the telecommunications panel shown in FIGS. 1-2;

FIG. 6 illustrates a close-up view of the cable management devicemounted to the panel of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of an outer barrel of the cablemanagement device of FIGS. 1-6;

FIG. 8 illustrates a perspective view of an inner barrel of the cablemanagement device of FIGS. 1-6;

FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view bisecting the cable managementdevice of FIGS. 1-6 showing the outer and inner barrels thereof in alocked position;

FIG. 10 is a partial lateral cross-sectional view of the cablemanagement device of FIGS. 1-6 showing the outer and inner barrelsthereof in a locked position;

FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional view similar to that of FIG. 10,showing the outer and inner barrels thereof in an unlocked position;

FIG. 12 illustrates another embodiment of a telecommunications systemincluding a cable management assembly formed from a telecommunicationspanel and a second example of a cable management device having featuresthat are examples of inventive aspects in accordance with the presentdisclosure removably mounted to the panel, the cable management assemblyshown from an outer perspective view;

FIG. 13 illustrates the cable management assembly of FIG. 12 from aninner perspective view;

FIG. 14 illustrates a perspective view of the cable management device ofFIGS. 12-13 from a free end thereof; and

FIG. 15 illustrates a perspective view of the cable management device ofFIGS. 12-13 from a mounting end thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary aspects of the presentdisclosure that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Whereverpossible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout thedrawings to refer to the same or like parts.

One embodiment of a telecommunications system 10 for managing cablesinterconnected to telecommunications components is illustrated in FIGS.1-11. The telecommunication system 10 includes a cable managementassembly 12 in accordance with the principles disclosed. The cablemanagement assembly 12 is illustrated specifically in FIGS. 1, 2, 5, and6 and includes a telecommunications panel 14 having a plurality ofshaped apertures 16 and a plurality of cable management devices 18. Inthe depicted embodiment, the cable management devices 18 are provided inthe form of spools 20. The panel 14 may also be referred to as a backplane or a riser.

Still referring to FIGS. 1-11, each cable management device 18 includesattachment features 22 corresponding to the shaped apertures 16 thatsecure the cable management devices 18 to the panel 14 at selectedhorizontal and vertical locations. The discrete apertures/openings 16 ofthe panel 14 and the cable management devices 18 are configured andsized so that a user can organize and arrange cables at variouslocations along the panel 14. As will be discussed in further detail,according to one inventive aspect, the cable management devices 18 mayinclude features for adjusting or varying the axial lengths L thereoffor equipment clearance or space-adaptability.

One feature of the present disclosure relates to cost reductionassociated with fixed or custom-made cable management systems. Thepresent cable management assembly 12 permits a user to configure thesystem 10 to a particular need. For example, in accordance with theprinciples disclosed herein, a user has the flexibility to position anynumber of the cable management devices 18 at a plurality of differentlocations on the panel 14 of the cable management assembly 12. Inparticular, the preferred panel 14 is constructed to provide a pluralityof placement coordinates (i.e., vertical and horizontal locations) fromwhich a user may choose to position the cable management devices 18.Thus, with this design, a user is not limited to a pre-made, fixed cablemanagement system, which may not fit a particular need. Similarly, withthis design, the user reduces or eliminates modification and customizingcosts associated with reworking a system to fit the particular need.

Another feature of the present system 10 relates to the system'sadaptability and ease of use. In one embodiment, the cable managementdevices 18 are detachably secured to the riser or panel 14. This featurepermits a user to modify a system's cable management strategy toaccommodate growth or changes needed in a quickly changing industry.

Still referring to FIGS. 1-11 in general, each cable management device18 in the form of a spool 20 is configured to facilitate adding one ormore fiber optic cables or optical fibers to a densely packed fiberstorage region. The cable management device 18, in the given embodiment,is formed from an outer barrel 24 that is disposed over an inner barrel26. The barrels 24, 26, cooperatively, define a storage surface 28 thatextends between a first end 30 and a second end 32 of the spool 20.

In the example shown, both the outer barrel 24 and the inner barrel 26forming the management device 18 define a circle-shaped lateralcross-dimensional profile 34.

At the first end 30 of the spool 20, attached to the inner barrel 26, isdefined a latch plate 36. And, at the second end 32 of the spool 20,extending from the outer barrel 24, is defined a flange 38 for acting asa cable retainer to facilitate maintaining the fiber optic cables on thestorage surface 28.

At the first end 30 of the spool 20, the latch plate 36 includesfeatures 22 for latching the spool 20 to a piece of telecommunicationsequipment such as the panel 14 shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 5, and 6. The latchplate 36 includes a catch 40, an abutment member 42 at an upper portionthereof, and a snap-in latch member 44 at a lower portion thereof. Thelatch member 44 defines a latch tab 46.

The upper and the lower features 22 of the latch plate 36 are configuredto cooperate with corresponding shaped apertures 16 on the panel 14 formounting the spools 20 to desired positions on the panel 14 as discussedpreviously. In general, the cable management device 18 is designed to besecured to the panel 14 by insertion into the panel 14 from one side,without the use of tools or extra fastening components. As shown indetail in FIGS. 5-6, in mounting a spool 20 to a panel 14, the uppercatch 40 is first inserted through an aperture 16 in the panel 14. Oncea retention portion 48 of the catch 40 is hooked against the panel 14,the latch plate 36, and thus the entire spool 20, is pivoted down toinsert the latch member 44 through another lower aperture 16 that isspaced apart from the upper aperture 16 of the panel 14 along the samecolumn. The latch member 44 is flexibly inserted until the latch tab 46clears the panel wall 50 and the spool 20 is latched into place. Theabutment member 42 at the upper portion of the latch plate 36 isconfigured to contact a portion of the panel wall 50 defining a loweredge 52 of the upper aperture 16 and provide further stability to thelatched spool 20.

In releasing the spool 20 from the panel 14 and disassembling the cablemanagement assembly 12, the portion of the latch member 44 defining thelatch tab 46 is simply flexed upwardly until the tab 46 clears theaperture 16 and the spool 20 is pivoted away from the panel 14. A finaldownward movement of the spool 20 in unhooking the upper catch 40releases the spool 20 from the panel 14.

Now referring to FIGS. 7-11 specifically, as discussed above and as willbe discussed in further detail below, the outer barrel 24 and the innerbarrel 26 include features that provide adjustability of the length L ofthe overall spool 20. Allowing adjustability of the length L of thespool 20 facilitates clearance for other equipment that may bepositioned adjacent the panel 14.

In the example shown, the outer barrel 24 defines a plurality ofdiscretely positioned detents 54 at the inner surface 56 thereofextending axially along the outer barrel 24. It should be noted that twosets of detents 54 may be positioned at the inner surface 56, onopposing sides thereof.

In the example shown, the inner barrel 26 defines a flexible cantileverarm 58 on opposing sides of the outer surface 60 thereof. The flexiblecantilever arms 58 define tabs 62 that are configured to projectradially outwardly from the outer surface 60 of the inner barrel 26. Aswill be discussed, the tabs 62 are configured to mate with and lock intothe detents 54 provided on the inner surface 56 of the outer barrel 24in positionally locking the outer barrel 24 to the inner barrel 26. Whenthe tabs 62 are not within the detents 54, the outer barrel 24 can beslidably moved in a telescoping fashion with respect to the inner barrel26 in adjusting the length L of the spool 20. And, once the desiredlength L is set and the tabs 62 are in alignment with the detents 54that correspond to the selected length L of the spool 20, relativerotation of the outer barrel 24 over the inner barrel 26 moves the tabs62 into the detents 54 to lock the outer barrel 24 with respect to theinner barrel 26.

If further adjustment is needed, relative rotation between the outerbarrel 24 and the inner barrel 26 once again allows a tab 62 or a pairof tabs 62 to exit a detent 54 or a pair of detents 54. After a desiredlength L for the spool 20 is determined, relative rotational movementbetween the outer barrel 24 and the inner barrel 26 once again allowsthe tab 62 to lock within another of the detents 54 that corresponds tothe desired length L. Thus, the telescoping slidable movement and therotational locking movement between the outer and inner barrels 24, 26provide adjustability to the length L of the overall cable managementspool 20.

FIGS. 9-10 illustrate a locked position for the spool 20 with one of thetabs 62 of the flexible cantilever arms 58 within one of the detents 54.FIG. 11 illustrates an unlocked position for the spool 20, wherein a tab62 or a pair of tabs 62 are outside of a given detent 54 or pair ofdetents 54. In the unlocked position shown in FIG. 11, the outer barrel24 is able to telescopically slide with respect to the inner barrel 26so as to provide adjustment for the length L of the spool 20.

It should be noted that the tabs 62 on the flexible cantilever arms 58may include tapered surfaces 64 to help with slidable insertion into andremoval from the detents 54. As shown in the cross-sectional views inFIGS. 10 and 11, the detents 54 may also define tapered entry/exitsurfaces 66 to facilitate insertion and removal of the tabs 62.

It will be appreciated that, even though in the depicted embodiment, theouter barre 124 is the structure that is configured with the detents 54and the inner barrel 26 is the structure that is configured with thecooperating cantilever arms 58, in other embodiments, these structuresmay be reversed.

FIGS. 12-15 illustrate a cable management assembly 112 including a panel14 and a cable management device 118 that has features similar to thosedescribed above with respect to the device 18 of FIGS. 1-11. In thedevice 118 of FIGS. 12-15, both the outer and the inner barrels 124, 126of the device 118 are depicted as having been molded from twosemi-circular pieces 119 that are fitted together with a snap-fitinterlock to form the circular lateral cross-dimensional profile 34. Inthe embodiment of the spool 20 illustrated in FIGS. 1-11, the outer andthe inner barrels 24, 26 are illustrated as structures that are moldedas a single piece. Otherwise, the devices 18, 118 of FIGS. 1-11 and12-15 function in a similar manner.

The above specification provides a complete description of thetelecommunications systems including the cable management assemblies andmethods of use. Since many embodiments of the disclosure can be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the inventive aspects,the inventive aspects reside in the claims hereinafter appended.

What is claimed is:
 1. A cable management assembly comprising: atelecommunications frame defining a plurality of apertures; and aplurality of cable management devices mounted to the telecommunicationsframe, the cable management devices having attachment structurescorresponding to the apertures defined by the telecommunications framefor removably mounting the cable management devices to thetelecommunications frame at selected locations on the telecommunicationsframe, wherein each cable management device defines an outer barreldisposed over an inner barrel, one of the outer barrel and the innerbarrel defining discrete detents positioned along a length thereof, andthe other of the outer barrel and the inner barrel defining at least onetab configured to lock into a selected one of the detents for allowingadjustment of a length of the cable management device, wherein the outerbarrel and the inner barrel are rotatable relative to each other fordisengaging or engaging the at least one tab from the detent foradjusting the length of the cable management device.
 2. The cablemanagement assembly of claim 1, wherein the apertures of thetelecommunications frame and the attachment structures of the cablemanagement devices are configured such that the cable management devicescan be removably mounted to the telecommunications frame at selectedvertical and horizontal locations on the frame.
 3. The cable managementassembly of claim 1, wherein the outer barrel and the inner barrel areslidable with respect to each other when the at least one tab is out ofthe detent for adjusting the length of the cable management device. 4.The cable management assembly of claim 1, wherein both the outer barreland the inner barrel define circular lateral cross-dimensional profiles.5. The cable management assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least onetab projects either radially outward past an outer surface of the innerbarrel or radially inward past an inner surface of the outer barrel. 6.The cable management assembly of claim 1, wherein one of the outerbarrel and the inner barrel defines two opposing sets of detentspositioned along the length thereof, and the other of the outer barreland the inner barrel defines two tabs on opposing sides thereof that areconfigured to lock into a selected detent set for allowing adjustment ofthe length of the cable management device.
 7. The cable managementassembly of claim 1, wherein one of the outer barrel and the innerbarrel includes a cable retention flange at an end of the cablemanagement device.
 8. The cable management assembly of claim 1, whereinthe at least one tab of one of the outer barrel and the inner barrel islocked into a detent under a bias.
 9. The cable management assembly ofclaim 1, wherein the at least one tab that is configured to be lockedinto a selected detent is defined by the inner barrel of the cablemanagement device.
 10. The cable management assembly of claim 9, whereinthe outer barrel defines two opposing sets of detents positioned alongthe length thereof, and the inner barrel defines two tabs on opposingsides thereof that are configured to lock into a selected detent set forallowing adjustment of the length of the cable management device.